A known safety apparatus for the occupant of a vehicle includes an airbag, a housing for the airbag, a gas source, and a closure panel for the housing. The housing is received within the vehicle dashboard or the steering column, and the airbag is typically stored in a folded condition inside the housing. The closure panel conceals the other components from the occupant compartment of the vehicle.
when the vehicle experiences a crash, the gas source is activated. The gas is directed into the airbag to cause inflating movement of the airbag outwardly from the housing toward a position in which the inflated airbag restrains forward movement of an occupant of the vehicle. The inflating airbag moves past the closure panel in its movement from its stored position in the housing to its occupant restraining position in the occupant compartment.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,622,176 shows a vehicle occupant safety apparatus including a closure panel which is formed from a deformable plastic material. Grooves are formed in a surface of the closure panel to define weakened regions of the closure panel. As the airbag is inflated by gas emitted from the gas source, the outwardly moving airbag applies pressure against the inside surface of the closure panel. This pressure causes the closure panel to rupture along the grooves so that the panel splits apart to provide an opening through which the inflating airbag can move into the occupant compartment. The gas source must provide a gas pressure which is sufficient to inflate the airbag into an occupant restraining position and also to rupture the closure panel within the brief time allotted for inflation of the airbag.